Kathmandu/Nepal
I spend 8 days in Kathmandu.
I think some rest is not wrong. In recent days I have trudged a bit, but physically so far I am okay. The willingness to maltreat myself, obviously flagged a little.
I compile information about the crossing of Tibet. But more on that later. Not helpful is the website of the Chinese Embassy with outdated information, the old location of the embassy, wrong opening times.
My luggage rack, which is broken, must be repaired. This happens by means of a bicycle front axle and a stem adapter cut in a jewellery workshop.
Furthermore, I need a big backpack for my planned hike. Shops there are enough, even if the offer is quite identical and very amusing. In other words, it is less amusing if you search for example for a decent backpack. In addition to some Nepalese products and a few western imports to western prices there are mainly Chinese imitations – products with the faked inscription popular American and European brands. Depending on your own brand fetishism you can get the same item with different companies label, although it is not always written correct. The product booklet are reprinted, but not always belong to the product on which they are. Copies of inferior quality? That would be nice. Most hiking backpacks look like a backpack seen from the pack site, but virtually they don’t have a carrying system. The producers apparently don’t have any idea how a trekking backpack works. The sales staff is no better. The few belts are used incorrectly and fixed wrongly that the carrying system looses the last bit of functionality. ‚This is just the right backpack.‘, you say, without I said any word what for I am looking for a backpack. The sellers are very honest. Always it is said that the counterfeits are such, without saying counterfeits directly. In this context, a nice bakery advertising – ‚bye one get one‘ – at least very fair.
A little sightseeing. In the narrow alleys, there are many interesting people and situations to watch.
Accommodation, I find in the tourist ghetto Thamel. Here concentrate not just a few foreign tourists and it is all ready, what they need or not need. Withal Thamel is a mathematical sensation, because between the myriad hotels and massage studios every second shop is a restaurant, every else second an outdoor shop, every next second a crafts store and every further second is a travel agency. All businesses of the same industry have always the same offer, travel agents offer the same tours.
Tom
translated by Denise and Tom
photos to this article: Kathmandu/Nepal : Fotos
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